Kent State students turn out to protest Kyle Rittenhouse's campus visit

Students demonstrated throughout the day Tuesday at Kent State University condemning an appearance by Kyle Rittenhouse, culminating in a protest outside the student center involving roughly 200 people who booed those attending the talk. The Kent State chapter of Turning Point USA had invited Rittenhouse to campus to speak. Turning Point USA is a youth-focused nonprofit that supports conservative candidates and causes.

Rittenhouse argued in his remarks that he came to Kenosha to offer aid and was not looking for a fight, recounting his view of what happened during the protest, including when he was hit in the head with a skateboard, and chased by protesters. "Thank God I'm still alive and here to share my story. Because they really wanted to kill me. And it makes a lot of these leftists upset that I'm coming to these universities to share my story. And all I can say to them is 'cope harder,'" he said, to cheers in the audience.

Rittenhouse is profiting off the deaths of two people, arguing Rittenhouse-endorsed body armor is being sold and a turkey hunting video game is being developed featuring his likeness, said Yaseen Shaikh, president of the Kent State Students for Justice for Palestine chapter, which helped organize the press conference. He also took the campus Turning Point USA chapter to task. "Are you so lacking in moral leadership that you feel the need to bring Rittenhouse to Kent State? To advocate for gun rights? Which you're welcome to do, as per your right to free speech, but is there no other option for you to choose, except for a teenager who became famous for killing two people?" Shaikh said.

https://www.ideastream.org/education/2024-04-16/kent-state-students-turn-out-to-protest-kyle-rittenhouses-campus-visit